Revenge is a dish best served unintentionally
by mary-v
Summary: Josie gets an invitation to her high school reunion. Pandemonium ensues. Sam/Josie.


Revenge is a dish best served unintentionally.

_Josie gets an invitation to her high school reunion. Pandemonium ensues._

_For the romantic bug in me, that just needed to be fed. And most of all, for all of you out there who are in love. They must be well deserving.;)_

"I can't do it." Josie was pacing in her living room, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. Sam quirked an eyebrow, a look of amusement and confusion on his face. He'd gotten to her apartment nearly twenty minutes ago, and he was greeted by a scene that was not so dissimilar to what he was seeing now. The only difference was that the piece of paper she'd had clutched in her hands was currently littering the floor.

"Josie, you need to breathe." She stopped in her tracks, turned towards him and put her hands on her hips, making a show of taking said breath.

"Any more bright ideas? I breathed. I'm still freaking out. I swear, whoever invented high school reunions is probably behind the iron maiden. " Sam gave a snort of laughter, and he stood up extending his arms and pulling Josie against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his chest and she took a deep breath, his combined scent of spice and grass calming her down.

"Ok, maybe that breath _was _a good idea" she mumbled. Sam lifted his hand and rubbed slow circles across her back.

"Jose. You're not a high school student anymore. You are talented, beautiful, smart and one of the best writers the Chicago Sun times has seen in the past decade. You have nothing to be nervous about." She nodded her head slightly and mumbled against his chest.

"You'll go with me, won't you?" She looked up at him, her eyes bright and wide and he gave her a gentle smile.

"Of course I will. Josie, you know I'd do anything for you." She smiled and stood on her toes, kissing him gently.

"But you really don't have to be that nervous. I mean, from what I saw at South Glen, you managed to fit in." Josie looked up at Sam and quirked an eyebrow at him (or at least she attempted to).

"Sam, I was 25 years old. I was a little more adept at fitting in. Emphasis on the little." She looked up at Sam, who stayed silent, but she could feel his curiosity. His silent encouragement spurred her on. She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"It was never easy for me, Sam. I was the laughing stock of the school. Literally. People would follow me around and _decorate_ my bag with toilet paper and stale fries... it was all just a condition of being known as _Josie-Grosie. _They were merciless. But I went back every day, because I told myself that it would end one day. And it did, just not the way I'd hoped." By then they'd sat on the couch and she rested her head on his lap. He was toying with her hair and she smiled up at him, feeling unselfconscious and loved – feelings she couldn't honestly say she'd have learned without him.

"By the time I started working for the Chicago Sun Times, I'd blocked things out, and I could barely remember any of it. Until I enrolled to South Glen South, and things kept coming back to me full force. Prom night in particular. I was so happy Sam." She looked up at him, and the shadow of self-doubt in her eyes had him tightening his hold on her waist.

"You've already read about how I was asked to the prom as a joke in the Article, but you never got the whole story. Lana, one of my friends, had told me Billy Prince, the most popular boy in school, was asking me to the prom. The days leading up to prom were a complete blur. I went dress shopping with my mom, and I felt like a princess. And as I stood on my front porch, Billy came riding up in his limousine, looking for all the world like my Prince. The next thing I knew I was covered in egg yolk and egg shells and I spent the rest of the night hiding in the bushes. I was so ashamed; I felt like an idiot and worst of all I felt I _deserved_it. When I finally worked up the courage to go back into my house, I managed to sneak past Rob and my parents. I never told anyone what happened that night, and I never felt the need to." She took a deep breath and rested her head on his chest. "But if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe wash my hair more often. Because regardless of what I went through, anything I've done has led me to you. To us. And I don't regret a single moment."

"Josie..." She heard his sharp intake of breath and sat up straight. He looked her straight in the eye, and smiled at her. "Jos, you are the most amazing woman I've ever met. Your capacity at finding light at even the darkest corners of your life is just so -" he stopped short, noticing the tears that had built in her eyes. She gave him a watery smile and he smiled back, leaning in to kiss her.

"How is it you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

"Because I love you" He said, unnecessarily, kissing her on her forehead.

"I know. I love you too. And I don't think there's anyone else in the world I could have shared that with. The reason I find light is because you help me to, Sam." She kissed him lightly and laughed, abruptly lightening the mood.

"Wow – I feel like such a sap! I sound like a Hallmark card."

"Well, you're _my_ Hallmark card. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Is that so? Well how's this: _Roses are red_" He cut her off with a kiss, and she smiled into his mouth. She broke the kiss to peck him lightly on the mouth, and then slowly trailed soft kisses down his neck. His breathing grew ragged and he let his hands run down her sides and up under her shirt, slowly caressing her skin. He lifted her up and she laughed out loud, before he claimed her lips with his own once more and carried her into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.

----

Josie felt like she'd been dragged to what to have been the one hundredth store in the span of one hour. When she'd told Anita that she was going to her high school reunion, a manic gleam came to her eye and never had Josie been more fearful of her enthusiastic friend and the rather threatening way she'd said _we're going shopping!_

"Is all this shopping really necessary, Nita? I mean the dress at the last store was fine!" Anita threw Josie a _look _and simply kept walking to the dress aisle. She was just about to sit when she heard her friend give a (rather dramatic) gasp.

"Yes! This is it. Josie, this is the dress. The one dress." _One dress to rule them all_ Josie thought to herself with a smile. But as she set eyes upon the _one dress_ she couldn't help but agree. She shuffled into the dressing room and slipped the dress over her head, letting the smooth silk slide down her body. She took a deep breath and couldn't help but smile at how good she felt in the dress. It was long sleeved and it had a deep V-neck and it reached down to her knees. It was navy blue and there was a red ribbon that tied under her bust. As she walked out of the dressing room, Anita nodded her approval and even the salesman stopped short at the sight of her in The Dress.

"You know, I think this is the first time I can sincerely say that a dress was made for one of my customers" he said, and Josie blushed. As she put her jeans back on, she couldn't help but wish she was still wearing her dress.

"Alright, now that the dress is taken care of, time for accessories!" Josie bit back a groan at her over-enthusiastic friend and followed her to the shoe shop, this time without complaint.

----

"Josie?" Sam called as he walked into her living room. They had exchanged keys 7 months into their relationship and she had to admit it came in handy on the (rare) occasion when she was still getting ready. In truth, she was a nervous wreck. The thought of going back to her old high school and facing the people that had made her life miserable was daunting and quite frankly scary. _Don't be silly. You have Sam, he'll be there the whole time. Now stop panicking and go greet him._ She walked out of her bathroom and greeted Sam with a kiss.

"I just need to get dressed, I'll be ready in 5 minutes."

"Ok. Take your time – it's a clear night so I doubt there will be much traffic."

She walked into her bedroom and stripped out of her bathrobe. She slid the dress on for the second time, and slipped on the red pumps that Anita insisted (and rightfully so) were made for her dress. She twirled once in front of her mirror, satisfied, and walked back into the living room with her clutch and wrap in one arm. She cleared her throat and smiled, waiting for Sam to turn his attention to her. As he laid eyes upon her, he nearly dropped the Eurythmics CD he was holding. She smiled coquettishly and sauntered over to him.

"What do you think?" She whispered into his ear, making him shiver. She smirked in satisfaction. Being with Sam had given her an incredible amount of confidence, and she was _liking_ it.

"I think I forgot what I was here for" he whispered back, huskily. It was her turn to shiver as his hand ran down the middle of her chest, his breath blowing sensually across her skin. Combined with the feel of the silk dress she really couldn't wait for the night to be over. She leaned up as if to kiss him and stopped short to whisper against his lips.

"Well, Mr Coulson, you're quite the charmer. But I'm afraid we have somewhere to be" And with that she turned abruptly away and sauntered towards the front door. She heard his intake of breath and turned back expectantly.

"You're cruel, Ms Geller, you know that?" As they walked to his car, she giggled and shook her head lightly.

The drive to her old high school was interspersed with idle banter, but as they neared the old familiar route to her school, the butterflies in her stomach started to turn into dragons. She glanced around, and through the remaining light of the sunset she could see the parking lot was starting to fill up with cars – Mercedes, SUV's and the occasional Porsche.

Sam parked his own car, and before Josie could get her bearings to get out of the car, Sam had beat her to it, opening the door for her and holding out his hand. She smiled as she took his hand, paying attention to what he was wearing for the first time that evening. He was wearing black slacks and a burgundy shirt, with the top collar left undone. He had a black blazer slung over his arm and the overall effect took Josie's breath away. As they started walking towards the familiar swinging doors, she turned to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're looking quite dashing tonight"

"You think so? I was worried the pants made me look fat." He smiled at her and she laughed, the sound echoing off the walls of the main corridor. A couple of old students turned to look at her, and she placed them as Zara Lennons and Karl Richards – they'd always sat behind her in French class. She turned to hide her head in Sam's arm, but he placed his fingers under her chin and made her meet his gaze.

"Just remember, no matter what happens, I'm here for you. I love you." She took a deep breath and nodded to him, before turning to gaze around her surroundings. She marveled at how the old stone walls still hadn't changed. The only difference was that where before there was a wooden door marking the entrance to the school's administration offices, now there was a glass paneled one. As she and Sam followed the signs leading to the cafeteria – where the Casino-themed Alumni reunion was to take place - she felt like she had no control over her neck muscles. Her head kept swinging back and forth and she felt like she was 17 again. Awkward and small. The institutional feel to the old hallways, with the standardized gray lockers and white walls made her feel as if principal Maynor was going to come out and start handing out detentions. The warm weight of Sam's hand in her own was the only thing that kept her from running back to the car and high-tailing it back to the comfort of her bed.

"Oh God – I forgot what it was like, walking down these halls every day."

Sam squeezed her hand, a concerned crease forming between his eyebrows. She lifted her hand to his forehead, smoothing away his worry line, but his look of concern still didn't fade. She wanted to tell him that she was fine. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't feeling intimidated, nauseated and sick_._ But something about being back at her very own hell on earth made her feel like any thing of the sort that she could have said would have been a complete lie.

They'd entered the cafeteria by that point, and she paused to take in the sight. There were blackjack and poker tables littered about the room, including an enormous buffet and a champagne fountain. In the middle of the large room there was a makeshift dance floor and the light string of an old power ballad was playing. As she walked around the room, she was instantly recognized by her old teachers.

Almost every teacher she spoke with greeted her with some variation of "Josie! Josie _Geller_! Dear, how _are_ you? And who's this handsome young man?" She had to admit, it was nice to see her old teachers. And they didn't hesitate to inform Sam of how she was "one of the best students to walk the halls of Holy Trinity High."

"...and you should have seen the look on Dean Leonard's face! When Josie – 17 year old Josie – started talking to him about semiotics. I think that that conversation alone guaranteed her place in Northwestern." Josie was looking down, blushing wildly and Sam was laughing right along with her old English professor, who was telling him about the day Northwestern's Dean had visited her High School. They were soon joined by other alumni, and after a few minutes of idle conversation, Sam and Josie broke away from the crowd. They walked onto the dance floor, where _I've had the time of my __life _was starting to play.

"I do believe this is your favourite song" Sam said, a smile playing on his lips. He led her into a turn and twisted her around so that her back was to his chest, and then with another flick of his wrist he turned her so that she was facing him, her hands resting gently on his shoulders. They swayed to he music and she was feeling quite calm and content. And best of all, she was happy.

"Josie!" Josie turned her head and laid eyes upon Lana Turner. She couldn't help but smile as she broke away from Sam and threw her arms around her old friend.

"Josie! Oh my God, how are you? I almost didn't recognize you!" The two had lost touch after they left for college, but as she saw the kind smile on her friend's face, she couldn't help but feel like she was on familiar grounds, finally.

"Oh Josie, I'm doing great! Tell me everything!" Josie laughed at Lana's old catchphrase, shaking her head in amusement.

"You first! I think I see a ring on your finger... when did that happen!?" Lana giggled and waved over a tall, handsome man. He walked up to her and smiled politely, and Lana made short work of the introductions.

"Josie, this is my husband, Luke Burnham. Luke, Josie Geller." Josie shook his hand and as Luke turned to Sam, she took it as her cue.

"Luke, Lana, this is Sam Coulson" As the men exchanged pleasantries, Lana mouthed a very enthusiastic _good work _at her. She laughed at her friend's exuberance and pulled her aside, catching up with her. She soon discovered she was a manager at the bank, and that Luke worked for the Government. She and Luke had met at a bar two years ago, and Lana announced she was pregnant, which resulted in very enthusiastic squeals and hugs.

"I see Lana's told Josie she's pregnant" Luke said to Sam. Regardless of the slight humour that was belied in his voice, it was impossible to miss the joy and pride he was showing. He kissed Lana on the forehead and Josie felt like she was about to burst from joy for her friend.

"Oh, but enough about me! I have to say, I read your article in the Sun Times and it was honestly one of the most romantic things I've ever read. And I make sure to keep up with your column – you always have the most amazing things to say." Josie blushed shyly and looked over at Sam. He glanced over at the same time and she smiled tenderly, feeling shivers run down her spine as he gazed at her with unmistakable love and desire.

"I have the right inspiration" she said, only taking her eyes off Sam when she felt Lana start to shake with excitement.

"You two are just so _cute_! Tell me more! And let's get something to eat. You boys want anything?" She asked, turning to Sam and Luke.

"Punch would be nice" said Sam, Luke nodding his head in agreement. Lana hooked her arm into Josie's and the two walked to the buffet.

"I'll be right back – I'll go bring them their punch." Josie nodded and perused the selection, looking for what she wanted – chocolate.

"Ah ha!" she said softly to herself, and lifted the cake to her mouth. She couldn't help but close her eyes in satisfaction. If nothing else, chocolate was always the one thing that was right in the world. When she reopened her eyes, she noticed that she had an audience. She felt her heart drop into her stomach as she recognized the blue eyes and dirty blond hair of the boy who's tortured her all through high school – Billy Prince. She frantically wondered where Lana was already, when he started to speak.

"Hey there" he said with confidence and a little bit of swagger. She looked upon that cocky smile, the one she recognized from all the times he'd laid it upon the cheerleaders in school, and she realized he was _flirting_. Billy Prince was flirting with Josie Geller. She furtively looked at the roof of the school and wondered if the sky was falling yet. She would have laughed at how preposterous the situation was, except all she wanted to do was hide her head like a turtle. Or maybe even punch him in the face. She settled for being polite.

"Billy Prince. How are you?" He looked shocked that she knew his name. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head, trying to place her. It was obvious by the awkward look on his face that he was embarrassed, and she mentally shook her head. It was obvious he was still living in High School. Asking for someone's name that one hadn't seen in ten years wasn't a crime.

"Josie Geller, Billy." The look of shock on his face made her wish she had a camera, if only because it looked as if the Pope has just announced his life long ambition to be a can-can dancer.

"Josie-Grosie? No way. Dude, that chick was all kinds of scary. And you, baby, are way too fine. Where's the hidden camera?" He placed his hand on his arm and adopted a cocky swagger. Before she could even express any kind of shock at what he'd just said – really, she couldn't quite believe she ever had a crush on him – or push his hand away, she heard a resounding crack, and the next thing she knew, Billy Prince was on lying on the floor. She saw Sam, breathing heavily and looking for all the world like her knight in shining armor. He had a fiercely protective look on his face, and when he turned to Josie, he bowed his head a little.

"I'm sorry, Josie... I decided to come over when I saw him talking to you, and then I heard what he said a-mmph!" She cut him off, kissing him fiercely.

"Don't apologize. While I don't want you ever hitting anyone – least of all for me - I was about to do the same thing." By that point, Billy had stood up.

"What the _hell_, dude? I'm going to punch your lights out, asshole." But then, someone started clapping their hands together, and soon she saw most of her old classmates applauding. The old "cool" gang (and the teachers, of course) didn't encourage the humiliation, but she had a feeling things would have escalated into a brawl if Billy hadn't stalked away to have his girlfriend nurse his wounds. She didn't think she would ever condone violence, but as she remembered her traumatizing heartbreak, she couldn't help but feel that she finally had closure.

----

The night was starting to wind to a close, and what had started out as a nerve-fest had slowly progressed into a relatively pleasant evening – regardless of the small mishap. The crowd had started to dwindle, but with a graduating class of nearly one hundred students, plus their dates, there was still quite a few people left. Luke and Lana had already left, since she was feeling the pregnancy exhaustion, but they made a date to grab dinner later in the week. She and Sam danced in slow circles, as she mused over how glad she was she'd decided to confront her demons.

"So, was it as horrible as you thought it might have been?" Sam asked, teasingly. She smiled and shook her head pecking him gently on his cheek. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed rather nervously.

"Jos-" he stopped short and spun her away from him, for what must have made a comical sight. One of the most romantic dance moves, and she looked like a confused squirrel where as Sam looked like someone had just asked him to swallow turpentine. As she, gracefully, reclaimed her earlier position, with her arms around his neck, Sam seemed to have finally worked up the courage to spit out whatever it was he had to say. After a few minutes of silence, however, she was about to chalk it up to it being a passing bout of gas, or something.

"Sam? Are you ok?" Sam looked at her and seemed to finally take courage in what he saw in her gaze.

"I just love you, is all. Josie -"

He paused, and she could hear the tremble in his voice, and it made him seem incredibly vulnerable. The tenderness in his smile and the way he was looking at her – a combined look of desire and pure, unadulterated love, made her go weak in the knees. If he hadn't been holding her, she was sure she would have revisited her old clumsy ways and skinned her knees on the floor. And then his lips parted and Josie didn't know how she managed not to faint.

"One half of me is yours, the other half yours, mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, and so all yours. Josie Geller, you're the one woman I ever met that manages to keep me sane and drive me crazy all at the same time. You make me laugh when I want to scream and whenever you're away from me I feel like a part of me goes missing." By that point he'd dropped to one knee and had pulled out a velvet box. He opened it, and nestled in its folds she could make out through her blurry eye sight a single diamond surrounded by two sapphires on a white-gold band. "Josie, will you be my other half, for now and always? Will you marry me?" Josie started nodding her head at an almost frantic pace and she barely gave Sam the chance to stand up and place the ring on her finger that she yelled out "_YES_!" and kissed him, pouring all her love and emotions that she could into that one kiss. She could feel the happiness and relief radiating from Sam. As she broke away and looked at him, a blazing smile on his face she was sure was reflected on her own, she didn't think she could ever frown again. And there, amongst an audience of almost strangers, she was dimly aware of the fact that she'd finally gotten her just rewards.

**A/N: **And I know this was sappy, but I make no excuses! It was based on chick flick, for the love of Shakespeare. And we all love our sap.:D Oh and speaking of Shakespeare, _One half of me is yours, the other half yours, mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, and so all yours_ are actually his words. And to be honest, I do believe that's the first marriage proposal I've ever written! Ever!

And for the sake of plot advancement, they don't believe in name tags at Holy Trinity.:P

I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope you did so much that you feel compelled to leave me a lovely review? :D

Thanks for reading!:)


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